Airship.



WILLIAM E. MORRISON, OF LA FAYETTE, INDIANA.

AIRSHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 2O, 1910.

Application filed January 29, 1910. Serial No. 540,868.

To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that I, VVILLIAM MonmsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented certain i newland useful Improvements tin Airships,

of which the following is' aspecification.

\ This invention relates to air ships, and

one of the principal objects of the same is to provide im roved means for raising the air ship and or propelling it through the am Another object of the invention is to provide a propeller wheel of simple construction, which will be strong, durable and efiicient for itspurpose and which will have an increased holding power.

Still another object of the invention is to provide eflicient means for mounting the shafts of the 1propeller wheel and ofthe ascension whee s.

These and other objects may be attained by .means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the air ship provided with ascen sion wheels and a propeller'wheel made in accordance with my invention; Fi 2 is a bottom plan view of one of the ball earings for the shafts. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of said ball bearing. Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the propeller or ascension wheels.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 1 designates the bottom of the air ship, 2 is the top and? is the interior flooring. The rudder 4 is operated by means of wires 5 extendin to a steering wheel 6 in the pilot house i A suitable electric or other engine 8 is mounted in the space underneath the'floor 3, and the propeller shaft 9 is provided with a sprocket wheel, uponwhich a drive chain 10 is mounted, said drive chain passing around a similar s rocket wheel on a countershaft. 11 journa ed in hangers 12 underneath the floor 3.

A suitableclutch 13 is (aperate d by means;

of connecting rods 14 lea ng to a lever 15 in the pilot house, while a similar clutch 16 is o erated by means of connecting rods 17 lea ing to a lever 18 for throwing into and out of operation the propeller wheel.

If a gasolene engine is used a tank 19 is secured under the floor 3 and is provided with a 'feed pipe 20 leading to the engine 8.

vwheels and ascension wheels ma bearing balls, 26 to reduce the friction. For

holding the bearing member 24 in place a,

nut 27 is mounted upon the shaft 21 and is adjustable upon the screw threads 28, said nut 27 being held from detachment by means of a cotter pin 29, as shown in Fig. 3.

The propeller wheel and the ascension wheels are substantially identical in form,

said wheels each comprising a hub 30 having a series of flat blades 31 extending tangentially from the hub, said blades being of equal width from the hub to their outer ends. These blades extend at-an angle from the hub 30 to provide intermediate air spaces 32 between the blades 31. These wheels when viewed in plan present what would a ear to be an unbroken surface to the wind ut owing to the angular arrangement ofthe blades there is a space between each pair of blades to permit the air to pass through.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that an air ship providedwith dpropeller e in accordance with my invention, will operate efficiently even in a strong current of air.

Upon reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen.

that a line drawn through two adjacent blades 31 on the line ab will intersect both blades owing to the fact that one blade extends beyond the edge' of the next adjacent blade.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A propeller wheel for air ships comprising a hub, a series of blades of equal width from end to end projecting tangentially from said hub, said blades at their inner ends extending entirely across the hub at an angle to the axis of said hub and. said blades being spaced 21 art to form intermediate air spaces, an each blade extending beyond the next adjacent blade to resent an unbroken surface when viewe in plan. y

2. An ascension wheel for air ships comprising a hub, a series of blades of equal width from end to end projecting tangentially from said hub, said blades at their 1 I In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature 10 inner ends extending entirely across the hub in presence of two witnesses.

at an angle to the axis of said hub and said blades being spaced apart to form inter- WILLIAM E; MORRISON. mediate air spaces, and each blade extendv ing beyond the next adjacent blade .to (pre- Witnesses:

sent an unbroken surface when viewe in WILLARD G. SLAGLE,

plan, means for mounting said wheel in an C. G. STOGKER.

air ship, and means for rotating said wheel. 

